Scarred
by Rayvah
Summary: Mr. Gold comes back from Neverland a broken man, outsmarted, with all of his deepest desires having been turned against him.


**_Prompt fill:_**** In Neverland Gold lost his right leg. Moreover now has so many scars on his face and whole body. He's so embarrassed so Belle try everything to show him that he's still the same man and lover.**

**_My response:_**** Now, I wasn't sure if you were looking for amputee sex here, but I'm not very good at jumping straight to smut, especially in a short fic - so instead I ratcheted the Pain & Angst factor up to a 10. My soul died a little in the writing. I hope you like it!**

**I don't own Once Upon A Time**

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Gold had come back from Neverland a changed man. Very changed. At first, no one even recognized him as Mr. Gold. They very nearly didn't recognize him as a man. Belle had met the ship at the dock: had run there as soon as she'd heard it had been spotted. When she first saw him, he was being heavily supported by Emma, and covered in a heavy, hooded cloak. Belle rushed forward, fearing he was mortally injured - until she realized why he wasn't holding his own weight. His right leg was missing from the knee down. She'd gone to him, wanting to see him - to look into his eyes again.

He hadn't wanted her to see him, and that hurt more than anything - but she could understand. He was covered in scars - scars she'd since learned encompassed his entire body.

"How?" she asked, tearful.

"I was outsmarted," he replied, sitting in his chair as he stared out the window.

And that was the crux of it. Rumplestiltskin, weaver of words and maker of deals had been beaten at his own game. Beaten by a creature that could show more cruelty and fool even him because it had never, ever been human.

_"Neverland is an alien place, Rumplestiltskin." The thing the Lost Ones just called 'The Pan' had said. "It's a land you can never leave, unless you allow us to keep a part of you here. A memory. A wish."_

He'd wished that he no longer be burdened by a permanently broken ankle.

_"Make a wish, Rumplestiltskin."_

He'd wished that somehow he could take the pain of Belle's imprisonment from her.

_"Make a wish."_

He'd wished he'd never lost his son.

He no longer suffered the pain of a broken ankle, for he had no leg. Belle no longer had scars on her back, but he was now covered in them. And the third wish - it's fulfillment was both the kindest, and the cruelest.

Now the man who was formerly the most feared presence in town only sat in his chair all day, staring out the window. Belle cared for him – helped him bathe, made sure he ate and slept comfortably. She even commissioned Gepetto to craft an artificial limb, which worked wonderfully - but sat unused, propped against the wall.

Belle came up behind him as he sat, and ran her hand through his hair. He no longer moved away from her as he did at first, but this unresponsiveness was somehow worse.

"Rumple - do you want to talk about what happened?"

Nothing.

"I can understand why you wouldn't." She combed her fingers through his locks, almost wishing he had tangles to remove. "Emma told me everything. About how The Pan made you wish."

He turned his head slightly at that towards her, and she moved to face him, sitting. He looked at her intently.

She didn't look away. Didn't want him to think she wasn't willing to look at him. "What you did made it possible for everyone to come back. You saved them. Saved Henry." She had to blink away her tears.

"I miss you, Rumple. I wish…" at that he did respond, moving a finger over her lips, motioning her to silence. She wrapped his hand in hers, kissing the back of it. "I want you to know that when I look at you, all I see is the man who sacrificed himself to save others. Every scar you have," she moved to touch the side of his face, and he flinched, "is a mark that you loved me enough to want to take my pain away."

He didn't look away from her though, and Belle pressed further. "I want you back, Rumple. If you need time, I understand. But don't think that I don't want you because of this. I love you. More than ever."

A smile formed at the corner of his mouth, and Belle nearly burst into tears. She leaned forward, kissing him, and he wrapped his arms around her.

"And I love you."

At the sound of his voice, her tears did start to flow, and she buried her face against his shoulder, and held onto him.

"You are wonderful, Rumple. You were a hero. Bae would have been so proud of you." He stroked her hair as she cried.

"Who is Bae?"

Belle squeezed her eyes shut, tightening her arms around him as a sob wracked her body.

"No one important," she whispered.

He continued to stroke her hair, crooning soft comforts to her as she cried over him and a person he never knew.


End file.
